1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to devices for tracking the ingestion of in ingestible materials, and more particularly to a tracking device that can be attached to a container of the ingestible material for tracking a patient's consumption of dosages of a medication.
2. Description of Related Art
The following art defines the present state of this field:
Several patent references disclose medication tracking devices that include adhesive tapes or labels that are adapted to be adhesively attached to a bottle of medication, and then peeled from the bottle to track doses of medication consumed. Examples include the following:
Deal, U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,698, teaches a means for recording medication doses using a strip that is adhesively attached to the bottle of medication. A tab is slidably attached to the strip. The tab's position relative to a plurality of detents or other form of indicia is used to track doses of medication that have been taken.
Weisbach, U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,087, teaches a medication record-keeping indicia device that includes a label that includes a plurality of indicia printed thereupon. A removable mask or coating is used to cover the indicia; and the user indicates taking a dose of medication by removing the mask or coating.
Brooks, U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,597, teaches a method of using a consumption indicator label apparatus. The apparatus includes a plurality of tab members that are adhesively attached to a container. By peeling the tab members from the container, the user is able to indicate the dosage taken.
Parker, U.S. Pat. No. 2,833,064, teaches a recording and reminding device that includes a strip that includes a plurality of tabs. Tearing the tabs from the strip provides a method of tracking medication dosage.
Another set of prior art references teach the attachment of a clock face to a bottle of medication for tracking dosage, including the following:
Price, U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,392, teaches a prescription timer that includes a clock face that is attached to the cap of a bottle of medication. The clock face includes an hour hand that can be rotated to indicate the time that medication has been taken, and when the next medication should be taken.
Additional references that include similar clock faces on a bottle of medication include Mathison, U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,067, and Tucker, U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,335. An additional invention used to track dosage is described in Barker, EP Publication 0381494.
The above-described references are hereby incorporated by reference in full.
The prior art teaches various medication tracking devices that include adhesive tapes or labels that are adapted to be adhesively attached to a bottle of medication, and then peeled from the bottle to track doses of medication consumed. The prior art also teaches the attachment of a clock face to a bottle of medication for tracking dosages of medication. However, the prior art does not teach the association of a time indicating sheet such as a clock face with a bottle of medication, then sequentially sticking a plurality of dose indicators to the time indicating sheet, and indicating when dosages are taken by the placement and orientation of the dose indicators on the time indicating sheet. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.